A New Jersey waitress and former Marine is speaking out after a family of four skipped the tip earlier this week, leaving her an anti-gay note on the restaurant check instead.
Dayna Morales, a server at Gallop Asian Bistro in Bridgewater, N.J., knew immediately that her table of four was going to be difficult the second she introduced herself.
"Normal introduction, 'My name is Dayna. I'll be taking care of you.' Right away the mom looked at me and said, 'I thought you were going to
say your name was Dan,'" Morales told WABC-TV.
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Morales is openly gay but said she never discusses her sexuality with any of her customers. So when she went to retrieve the check after they'd left, she was shocked to find no tip on the $93.55 bill, along with a homophobic explanation for the missing gratuity.
"I'm sorry but I cannot tip because I don't agree with your lifestyle & how you live your life."
Morales immediately
snapped a photo of the receipt and posted it on the "Have a Gay Day" Facebook page.
"I am THOROUGHLY offended, mad, pissed off, and hurt that THIS is what her kids will grow up learning and that I served in the Marines to keep ignorant people like them free," she wrote. "Sorry lady but I don't agree with YOUR lifestyle and the way you're raising your kids but you didn't see me throwing that in your face and giving you sh—y service. Keep your damn mouth shut and pray we never cross paths again."
The photo of the receipt drew more than 2,000 angry comments from people enraged by the discrimination.
"They had no problem eating food served by your GAY hands," one Facebook user commented.
"Where do people get off? That's not right," another wrote. "They were rude from the get go. Saying they thought your name would be Dan. They were disrespectful and hateful and... it says more about them than you. Thank you for your service in the Marines. You are awesome!"
"Dayna, thank you for serving our country and keeping me and my family safe!" someone else posted. "I am a mother of 3 kids and I am raising them to understand that everyone deserves love, compassion, and kindness."
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